ITOTIABSAM | Young General | 86
Having thoroughly investigated the other party before returning to the capital, Gu Cong raised an eyebrow slightly. "Can you speak?"
The young man, who was asked by him, seemed equally surprised. He blinked his long, curly eyelashes, opened his mouth, but didn't make any sound. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he quickly straightened up from Gu Cong's embrace, adjusted his clothes, and made a gesture that seemed like an apology yet also a thank you.
—- Perhaps both were the case.
Although Gu Cong had no experience communicating with a mute person, the other party's expressive eyes were easy to understand.
With his good hearing and close proximity, Gu Cong heard the stuttering and faint "husband" even softer than a kitten's meow. Others only saw Xie Ye fall into Gu Cong's arms, but the discerning matron, who had seen too many palace intrigues, couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
Truly worthy of the Mingyue Pavilion.
But as the young man stood upright, his demeanor exuded a dignified warmth that couldn't be suppressed even by the grand red wedding attire. At first glance, he indeed had the air of a noble son, but everyone present knew his background. Even the temporary guard, serving under Gu Cong's command for the welcoming procession, kept a stern face towards this soon-to-be "mistress."
In their hearts, their general was both handsome and valiant, leading soldiers for many years with few defeats. As the only remaining scion of the Gu family, he hadn't rested on his laurels, but had steadfastly guarded the border for ten years, ensuring peace between the grasslands and the Central Plains in recent years.
With such accomplishments, not to mention noble ladies of the capital, even princesses would be married off to him.
But now? That old emperor appointed such a person for their general. While there was an agreement between the older generations, what's the point of following a betrothal that got the gender wrong?
It's probably revenge for the general's disobedience to the imperial will ten years ago, saving a life that shouldn't have been saved.
Furthermore, with the royal marriage decree and the old acquaintance's agreement, if they wanted to silence the gossip from the outside world, their general might have to give up on continuing his bloodline, let alone taking a concubine.
This unnecessary trouble from the capital shouldn't have been returned.
However, while they were indignant on behalf of their general, the general himself seemed unaffected, calmly asking, "Can you still walk?"
Although just four simple words, lacking any tenderness, to the ears of the guards who had followed him for many years, it was practically an unprecedented act of thoughtfulness.
The speechless youth nodded and took a few limping steps forward.
They were all seasoned soldiers, experienced in injuries. With just a glance, they could tell that he had twisted his ankle. In the military, such a minor injury—hardly even worthy of the name—was nothing that anyone could help with.
Who would have thought that just as the guards were guessing how long it would take for Master Xie to reach the bridal sedan, their general would stride forward, effortlessly catching up to him, bending down, reaching out, and lifting the young man horizontally.
The lifted youth couldn't speak, couldn't even cry out in surprise, and could only cling tightly to the man's shoulders instinctively.
Unexpectedly, Gu Cong suddenly felt a vague disappointment: He didn't call out this time.
Wasn't he scared?
"Too slow," Gu Cong found a perfectly reasonable excuse in an instant, swiftly lifting the young man into the bridal sedan and carefully setting him down, ensuring he was seated securely.
Perhaps his earlier words had been too harsh, sounding like a reproach. The young man lowered his gaze slightly, looking somewhat apologetic, nothing like the spirited attitude he had when he fell into Gu Cong's arms.
Gu Cong couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking.
Today's bridal welcoming procession was solely due to the imperial decree, impossible to disobey.
He had brought his brothers into the capital, so naturally he would take them out in good order. Marriage, for him, was too distant and insignificant. He had no one he liked, nor did he want to leave descendants behind. Marrying anyone would be the same—everyone lives their own life.
But behind those slightly upturned phoenix eyes, he felt like something had changed in an instant. If he had to describe it, it was like a part of his body or his mind that had long been asleep suddenly woke up.
Strange.
Gathering his thoughts in time, he lifted the curtain and stepped out of the bridal sedan.
1101 chuckled mischievously, "Hehehe, even you also have a day.”
Little did it know, its joy lasted less than five seconds before the curtain of the bridal sedan was lifted again, and a stoppered porcelain bottle was handed in. "Medicine for the injury."
"If it hurts badly, just apply it on the way."
Men who had been exposed to the elements for years had much darker skin compared to the average person, and compared to Xie Ye, it was even more pronounced. As the curtain fell again, there were faint complaints from outside: "General, that's a royal gift..."
The rest of the words were unclear.
Playing with the delicate, elegantly-patterned white porcelain bottle in his hand, Xie Ye smirked, "What did you just say?"
1101: Nothing, excuse me.
It was naive.
Although everyone with eyes could see that there was something fishy about this marriage, on the surface, it was still an imperial decree from the emperor, and the face-saving efforts visible to the public would not be lacking.
Gu Cong was also practical. Since he had agreed, he didn't slack off. The betrothal gifts were generous enough, and when they were brought back as dowry, new red silk was specially used, parading through the streets in boxes, looking quite enviable.
...Even though initially, he had only intended to buy "Xie Ye's" compliance with material possessions.
Dressed in wedding attire and riding on a horse, despite the vibrant colors, they couldn't dispel the coldness and severity in Gu Cong's eyes. Occasionally, a few noble ladies hiding in the elegant rooms blushed at his handsome appearance. When they thought about the General's Mansion, which had only one surviving descendant left from a family of loyalists, and then thought about the cold and harsh days in the border town as described by the storytellers, it was like being doused with a bucket of cold water, chilling their hearts.
More people were discussing what stroke of luck Xie Ye had encountered to survive ten years ago and now leave the Mingyue Pavilion, seeking a new patron.
Of course, regardless of how outsiders might judge, the wedding procession arrived at the General's Mansion before the auspicious time, not following the fashionable trend in the capital of hiding intricate gardens and landscapes, but rather displaying grandeur and simplicity to the fullest.
Two stone lions with red embroidered balls around their necks guarded the gates, exuding an imposing and majestic aura at first glance.
There were also many guests waiting inside. While the emperor's intentions were inscrutable, the contents of the imperial decree were always genuine. Even if His Majesty were to turn against the General's Mansion tomorrow, they still had to put on a celebratory façade today.
"We have arrived." Considering the presence of outsiders, Gu Cong did not directly lift the person down as he had done earlier. Instead, he stood outside the bridal sedan, tapped lightly on the supporting wooden beam with his fingers, and extended one arm.
A fair, slender, and delicately framed hand pushed aside the sedan curtain.
The excited matchmaker, who had been waiting for an opportunity to speak, hurriedly interjected, "Hold on, hold on. The veil hasn't been lowered yet. The new bride doesn't understand the rules, General..."
Don't blame him.
The last two words choked in her throat. She had intended to embarrass Xiei Ye by seizing the opportunity, but unexpectedly, she met the man's unusual eyes directly. Instantly, every hair on her body stood on end, feeling as if she had been frozen in place, quite comical.
She had seen the man lifting Xie Ye into the sedan, but she had only thought that he was impatient because Xie Ye was walking too slowly and might delay the auspicious time set by the emperor.
In a clear voice, Gu Cong stated, "He is a man."
Moreover, people in the military didn't have so many formalities. Even if he were a woman, if she didn't want to, there was no reason she had to cover herself.
With an unmistakable emphasis in his words, Gu Cong's attitude and tone were completely natural. Xie Ye smiled faintly and supported himself on the man's arm as he descended from the sedan.
His appearance was indeed exceptionally handsome.
Despite originating from a humble background, because he had not been tormented by illness, regardless of what the guests had been thinking before, the moment the young man entered the room, they couldn't help but be drawn to him.
Even the guards, who had been muttering to themselves, were dumbfounded.
Previously, they had only seen half of his profile when he was being carried by the general.
Now, seeing his full face, they felt that although he was clearly a man, he was more beautiful than any woman they had seen since returning to the capital. It was a kind of elegance that wasn't arrogant, a beauty completely different from the harsh frontier.
The atmosphere was discordant, yet it somehow made people feel that it needed to be cared for.
But before they could take another glance, the commanding gaze of the general swept over them. Due to the need to support the person, the other man was intimately close to Xie Ye, appearing like a harmonious couple at first glance.
In the eyes of most people, this was not a wedding worthy of blessings. However, the two main characters took it very seriously.
With no elders present, the officiant was a eunuch sent by the emperor. His voice was much sharper than Eunuch Li’s in the previous life, but fortunately, his words were still pleasing.
"The two husbands bow to each other."
Presumably, to maintain the face of the general's mansion, the aging and increasingly suspicious old emperor refrained from using terms like "wife" or "concubine".
Bowing and paying respects, Xie Ye held one end of the red silk cord marked with the "double union" pattern, while the other end was in Gu Cong's hand. It was his first time formally marrying someone, and he couldn't help but reveal a soft smile in his eyes.
Like the moon.
Gu Cong thought.
Compared to the capital, the customs in the border city were more open. He had been boldly and flirtatiously stared at by many women before, but never had a mere slight curve at the corner of someone's eyes, like now, evoked so many memories of previously unnoticed beauty.
Even his heartbeat deviated from its usual steady rhythm, quickening by two beats.
Then came a louder proclamation:
"Escort them to the bridal chamber—"
The ceremony was completed.
However, Gu Cong forgot to release the end of the red silk cord in his hand until the young man at the other end gently reminded him by giving it a slight tug. Looking at him with a hint of confusion, Gu Cong snapped back to reality.
He had a good alcohol tolerance but rarely drank, as losing clarity on the battlefield could lead to disaster at any moment. Among the guests, there were few who dared to persuade him to drink. When they returned to the room, the sky was just beginning to darken.
Coincidentally, the young man he had just married was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for him.
His posture was very proper, and the matchmaker and the maidservant accompanying them were nowhere to be seen. With the door closed, there was only the two of them in the room. Gu Cong roughly went over the prepared speeches in his mind, such as the marriage being just a show to comply with the imperial decree, and how he would buy a house for the young man after they left the capital, granting him freedom.
But before these words could be spoken, the young man got up, picked up the silver jug on the table, and poured two cups of bridal wine. He took one for himself and placed the other in front of Gu Cong.
The red of his outfit, richer than Gu Cong's, made his fair complexion stand out even more. Absentmindedly, Gu Cong forgot the words he intended to say and lowered his head to take a sip from the cup offered by the young man.
It was obviously a mistake.
Although the young man appeared polite, he didn't protest. Instead, he raised his hand in cooperation and downed his own cup.
...Then, his brows furrowed as if he had tasted something spicy, like a cat that wanted to stick out its tongue to breathe but resisted, his cheeks quickly turning a rosy hue.
Realizing the mistake as soon as he took a sip, Gu Cong hadn't expected the young man to be so "generous." Unable to resist, he picked up the cup in front of him and shook it lightly, chuckling softly.
"Moonshine."
"Is it strong enough?"
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